RTC Eligibility

Impairments that, regardless of cause, require individuals to use a wheelchair for mobility.

Impairments that cause individuals to walk with significant difficulty including requiring use of a leg brace, cane, walker or crutches.

Musculo-skeletal impairment such as muscular dystrophy, osteogenesis imperfecta or arthritis of Functional Class III or anatomical Stage III. Individual has significant mobility impairment.

Persons who suffer amputation of, or anatomical deformity of (i.e., loss of major function due to degenerative changes associated with vascular or neurological deficits, traumatic loss of muscle mass or tendons and x-ray evidence of bony or fibrous ankylosis at an unfavorable angle, joint subluxation or instability): (a) Both hands; or (b) one hand and one foot; or (c) amputation of lower extremity at or above the tarsal region (one or both legs).

With one of the following: (a) pseudobulbar palsy; or (b) functional motor deficit; or (c) ataxia affecting two extremities substantiated by appropriate cerebellar signs or proprioceptive loss post 4 months.

Respiratory impairments of Class 3 (FVC between 51 and 59% of predicted, or FEV between 41 and 59% of predicted); or Class 4 (FVC less than or equal to 50% of predicted, or FEV less than or equal to 40% of predicted.

Cardiovascular impairments of functional Class III: Individuals with cardiac disease resulting in marked limitation of physical activity. They are comfortable at rest; less than ordinary physical activity causes fatigue, palpitation, dyspnea or anginal pain. (e.g., inability to walk one or more level blocks or climbing a flight of ordinary stairs.) Cardiovascular impairments of functional Class IV: Individuals with cardiac disease resulting in inability to carry out any physical activity without discomfort. Symptoms of cardiac insufficiency or of the anginal syndrome may be present even at rest. If physical activity is undertaken, discomfort is increased.

Individuals whose disability requires the use of a kidney dialysis machine.

Those individuals whose vision in the better eye (after correction) is 20/200 or less; or those individuals whose visual field is contracted (tunnel vision) to 10° or less from point of fixation or widest diameter subtends an angle no greater than 20° and individuals who are unable to read information signs or symbols for other than language reasons.

Deafness or hearing incapacity that makes person unable to communicate or hear warning signals including those persons whose hearing loss is 70 dba or greater in the 500, 1000, 2000 Hz ranges.

Individuals suffering faulty coordination or palsy from brain spinal or peripheral nerve injury, functional motor deficit in any two limbs or manifestations which significantly reduce mobility, coordination or perceptiveness

Intellectual Disability is a disorder that features concomitant deficits in intellectual functions and adaptive functioning that adversely impacts one or more aspects of daily living, such as communication, socialization, academic achievement and independent living. Significant delays in intellectual functions, which include reasoning, comprehension, judgment, problem solving, working memory and others, must be confirmed by standardized tests and clinical judgment. The significance of the disability, however, is determined by the extent of the limitations in adaptive functioning in the conceptual, social and practical domains. A deficit in adaptive functioning must be present in one or more of these domains and evidenced across multiple environments. The onset of these deficits must be seen during the developmental period and may be a result of a genetic syndrome, head trauma or acquired illness.

A neurological condition that appears in infancy or early childhood and permanently affects body movement, muscle coordination, and balance, and which primarily causes physical impairment involving limitation or loss of function and mobility. They experience difficulty with muscle coordination, muscle control, muscle tone, reflexes, balance or posture. They may have difficulty with fine or gross motor skills. Individuals with Cerebral Palsy may have associative and co-mitigating conditions that also impose additional challenges, such as a learning impairment, seizures, and vision or hearing loss.

A clinical disorder involving impairment of consciousness, characterized by seizures (e.g., generalized, complex partial, major motor, grand mal, petit mal or psychomotor), occurring more frequently than once a month in spite of prescribed treatment, with (a) diurnal episodes (loss of consciousness and convulsive seizure); (b) nocturnal episodes which show residual interfering with activity during the day; or (c) a disorder involving absence (petit mal) or mild partial (psychomotor) seizures occurring more frequently than once per week in spite of prescribed treatment with: 1) Alternation of awareness or loss of consciousness; and 2) Transient post-ictal manifestations of conventional or antisocial behavior. Persons exhibiting seizure-free control for a continuous period of more than six months duration are not included in the statement of Epilepsy defined in this section.

Autism Spectrum Disorder is characterized by deficits in verbal and nonverbal communication abilities and social interaction skills, coupled with the presence of restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interest or activities, which significantly impact the quality of social, educational, occupational, and/or adaptive functioning. Symptoms typically manifest early in the developmental period, but may only become fully apparent with increased social expectations. The range and severity of symptoms can vary greatly, producing unique, individual profiles of strengths and needs. To qualify for discount fare eligibility, an individual must minimally demonstrate the need for a substantial level of support to address either social communication deficits or restricted, repetitive behaviors.

A syndrome characterized by learning, perception and/or behavioral disorders of an individual whose IQ is not less than two standard deviations below the norm. These characteristics exist as a result of brain dysfunctions, neurologic disorder or any damage to the central nervous system, whether due to genetic, hereditary, accident or illness factors. This section includes persons with severe gait problems who are restricted in mobility.

Mental Disorders include a broad range of mental conditions that affect mood, thought, and behavior, and significantly impact one or more life activities. A DSM-5 diagnosis in one of the following categories is required for eligibility: Schizophrenia Spectrum and Other Psychotic Disorders, Bipolar and Related Disorders, Depressive Disorders, Trauma- and Stressor-Related Disorders, Dissociative Disorders, Somatic Symptoms and Related Disorders, and Neurocognitive Disorders. The diagnosis must be at a Class 3 to 5 level and a moderate impairment is the minimum level of severity necessary to qualify under this section. Please note that not all diagnoses within these categories will qualify for eligibility. For example, disorders in remission and "Unspecified" diagnoses are specifically excluded from discount fare eligibility. Additionally, applicants who have a Substance-Related or Addictive Disorder as a primary disability will not qualify for this program.

Individuals who experience chronic and progressive debilitating diseases that are characterized by constitutional symptoms such as fatigue, weakness, weight loss, pain and changes in mental status that, taken together, interfere in the activities of daily living and significantly impair mobility. Examples include: (a) Progressive, uncontrollable malignancies (i.e.. terminal malignancies or malignancies being treated with aggressive radiation or chemotherapy); (b) Advanced connective tissue diseases (i.e., advance states of disseminated lupus erythematosus, scleroderma or polyarteritis nodosa); (c) Symptomatic HIV infection (i.e., AIDS or ARC) in CDC-defined clinical categories B and C.

This category may include, but not be limited to, persons disabled by the combined effects of more than one impairment. The individual impairments themselves may not be severe enough to qualify as a Transit Dysfunction; however, the combined effects of the disabilities may qualify the individual for the program.